


Hiccup's Angels

by thepurplewriter333



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: F/M, HTTYD - Freeform, astrid - Freeform, dragons race to the edge - Freeform, dragons rtte, hiccup - Freeform, hiccup hurt, hiccup injured, hiccup!whump, hiccup's angels, how to train your dragon, httyd fanfiction hiccup hurt, httyd what ifs, rtte, snotlout's angels what if
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-01-16 01:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12332859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepurplewriter333/pseuds/thepurplewriter333
Summary: What-if for Season 5: Snotlout's Angels. After a fight with Astrid, Hiccup leaves the Edge to go and get her a gift- a hopeful attempt to make it up to her. But when he is caught in a storm on his way back, then rescued by strange women, there may just be more sinister things going on than he first realized... (Cross-posted on FanFiction.net)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! So, yes, I decided to do a what-if for Season 5... surprise!
> 
> "Snotlout's Angels" was really not one of my favorite episodes. I felt that Hiccup could do a better job at delivering it than Snotlout did, which inspired this. I really hope you all like it, and don't be afraid to tell me what you think! Anywho, please enjoy! :)

Hiccup knew he was in trouble the moment he saw Astrid's expression he walked in the clubhouse door.

He offered a weak smile, and subconsciously scratched the back of his head. He couldn't think of anything he had done wrong to upset her… at least, recently.

"Uh, h-hey, Astrid," he began in a hesitant tone. "So… so what's going on with you?"

She shot a glare like daggers at him, and jabbed a finger in his chest. " _You_!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Her face erupted into an angry color of red. "You forgot about it, didn't you?"

"Forgot about… forgot about what? What did I forget?"

"You know perfectly well what, Hiccup Haddock!"

Hiccup's mind raced for an answer. No, it wasn't the time of year for the annual Nadder migration, or when they would prepare for the Changewings to stay on the Edge for a few days until they took off again…

"Astrid, maybe if we could talk it over quietly, we could get this misunderstanding cleared," he offered, and put on a slight smile in an attempt to calm her down a little.

But, if possible, it only seemed to make her angrier. "Hiccup, you forgot about our picnic this afternoon!" At Hiccup's confused expression, she let out a sharp growl. "You know, the one we had been planning for, I don't know,  _months_!"

Hiccup was suddenly flooded with realization. "Oh-oh,  _that_ picnic." He winced. "Yeah, I, uh, I was taking a test flight with Toothless again. I just made a new tail fin for him, so I wanted to try it out…" He trailed off when her glare deepened, then said, "Look, Astrid, I'm really sorry. I've just been distracted lately what with the Hunters-"

"Do you know how long I was waiting there in that grove of trees, Hiccup?" Astrid interrupted him, beginning to pace furiously. " _Two_  hours! At first I thought you had just gotten sidetracked, but then more time passed and you still didn't come!"

Hiccup glanced over at Toothless, raising his brow. The Night Fury looked uninterested, and turned away.

"Astrid, I'm sorry," he tried again, attempting to catch her as she walked by.

But Astrid brushed past him. "Then I got worried, and I thought you were in trouble. So I still stayed at the picnic spot longer in case you came. Yet you never did! Do you have any idea what that felt like?" She continued before Hiccup had a chance to answer. "Of course you don't! Because you were too distracted to even..."

As she ranted on, Hiccup quietly slipped out of the clubhouse with Toothless at his side, still hearing Astrid's angry shouting from inside. He cringed. "Ah, bud, I really didn't mean to forget that picnic. We had had it planned months ahead of time, just so we were both sure we could make it, and then I just… forgot." His arms dropped to his sides in defeat. "I wish I could make it up to her somehow. Maybe…" He paused, and his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Maybe I could get her that new ax she had her eye on when Johann came around last week. I bet that would make some of my absence up to her. What do you think, bud? Up for another flight?"

Toothless rumbled, and let out an exaggerated yawn. Hiccup fake-pouted. "Aw, come on. It's for Astrid. You know how bad she can get when she's this angry. Really, we're doing the whole Edge a favor." Even now, he could hear Astrid still shouting inside the clubhouse, oblivious to the fact that Hiccup and Toothless were missing.

At last, Toothless gave a slight nod of his head, and Hiccup grinned. "Thanks, buddy… now what do you say we get out of here before she realizes we're gone?"

The dragon chortled, and a relieved Hiccup climbed into the saddle. "Let's go." They took off the edge of the Edge's landing strip, and climbed up into the evening sky just a few moments before Astrid rushed out of the clubhouse to watch them soar off into the night.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, you get back here!" she demanded, but he was already too far away to hear.

* * *

Hiccup yawned for the umpteenth time as he fumbled for another grip on Astrid's new ax, his eyes fluttering shut as a wave of tiredness crashed on top of him.

He hadn't realized how hard it would be to find Johann until he started to look. Usually, the trader was sailing near their waters this time of month, but for some reason he was further out than usual. And it took a fair deal of trading to get that ax, costing Hiccup his finest set of spy glasses, just recently made with new upgrades.

With a weak thanks to Johann, Hiccup at last took off and started heading back to the Edge- an approximate flight of two hours away, but with both Hiccup and Toothless being as tired as they were, it was already taking a lot longer.

"Hang on, buddy, just a little further," Hiccup murmured sleepily, although he didn't know if it was true or not. It was pitch black out, probably the middle of the night, and as he looked closer into the distance, he could suddenly see faint storm clouds gathering.

 _Perfect,_ he thought sarcastically.

But the memory of Astrid's upset words from before drove him further ahead as guilt swarmed his thoughts. It'd be a pure miracle for her to forgive him in the near future, even with the ax.

His thoughts were abruptly shattered when Toothless let out a warning growl. He looked up, and stiffened.

They were about to head into the storm.

"Okay, let's be careful, Toothless," he said, just as the first drops of rain splattered across his skin.

Toothless rumbled, and softened into a slower flying speed.

The rain came more harsh now as they entered a cloud bank. The air was no more than freezing, and shivers wracked Hiccup's thin frame when the rain soaked through his clothes.  _All this for an ax,_ he grumbled to himself.  _I'll have to be more mindful the next time I make plans with anyone…_

Lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder crashed in retaliation. Toothless snarled, and Hiccup patted his neck gently in concern. "Easy, buddy, don't worry… just a little rain, that's all, nothing to be afraid of..."

Another bolt of lightning came, this time much closer than before. Hiccup could feel the electricity in the air, and gripped his slippery ax tighter. "Coming out here might have been a mistake," he muttered.

Toothless snorted loudly.

"Oh, hush you… we'll be out of this storm in no time, and then we'll-"

_CRASH!_

Lightning streaked down from the sky, and with no warning at all, it hit its next unfortunate target…

Hiccup's metal leg.

For a moment, Hiccup was frozen in shock at what had happened. His leg burned and he vaguely felt himself slipping away from Toothless's saddle. The dragon shrieked and flapped harder against the battering winds, but Hiccup was too disoriented to fully comprehend what was happening around him.

Then he felt himself falling through the air, the ax still clutched in his hands.

He wouldn't let it go for anything now.

The impact of hitting the churning water below was harsh, and it quickly awakened him from his muddled thoughts. He sputtered out water, coughing, and then understood just how much trouble he was in.

Toothless was flapping erratically above him, before he was blown backwards by a violent gust of wind and pushed through the air. He started to dip down in the sky, much further away from his rider, and Hiccup yelled, "Toothless!" in panic.

He couldn't see the dragon after that, and grew frantic. Toothless couldn't fly without help. He couldn't swim well either- and for that matter, neither could Hiccup. And the worst part of it was that no one knew where they were or that they had been held up in this storm. By the time help arrived, they'd both be long dead.

The ocean's waves moved rapidly, much too fast for the injured young man to do more than claw the top of the water in a last desperate attempt for life.

He could feel his body slowly giving out on him, the pain in his leg making it all the more impossible for him to make a try at swimming against the strong current. To the weary boy, it had seemed like hours now since the storm had appeared and he'd been swept away into the raging waters. And oh, how he hoped Toothless was all right, or at least doing better than he was at the moment.

He hit another rough patch of waves and had to fight hard to keep from going under. Water crashed over his body at a frightening speed. Just when he felt as if his lungs were ready to burst and he would surely drown, the force of the current pushed him upward and to the surface once again.

He coughed and spit water from his mouth, looking back over his shoulder into the darkness and praying for some sign of help to appear. Nothing did.

Every muscle and joint in his body ached, his leg throbbed, and Hiccup feared he'd not be able to swim much longer. His eyes stayed fixed on the fierce waters around him as his thoughts momentarily turned to Astrid.

He wondered how she had reacted when she realized that he had gone off on his own, with no last mention of where he was headed for nor when he was going to get back. He could only hope that she would someday forgive him for his mistake, and know that he never had intentionally wanted to harm her.

His attention quickly returned to his violent surroundings as the sounds of rushing water grew in volume, and he watched in horror as a huge wave grew closer to where he paddled. Frantically, he searched for a way to escape, but realized too late that his body was unwilling and unable to follow the commands that his brain issued for him to try and swim away.

His last thoughts before being crushed by the towering wave and being dragged under were of his family and friends, and just how much he loved them.

His hazy vision flickered.

There were suddenly blurred faces above him... distinctly female... and almost looking like... angels. They reached for him... smooth hands stretching out in his direction... gripping his shoulders and dragging him upwards to the surface...

And then the young heir knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

Astrid glanced outside the clubhouse door once again; she shook her head in anger as she realized Hiccup was still not back yet. First, he had forgotten about the picnic, now he was avoiding her altogether. Why did everything had to be such a battle between them?

Fishlegs came in through the door, although hesitantly. "Any sign of Hiccup yet?"

"No," she snapped.

"Do you want me to go and look for him? He's been gone all night..."

"I'm sure he's too far away by now to be spotted. Besides, if he doesn't want to come back yet, he doesn't have to."

Fishlegs frowned, but obeyed. As the other Riders and Heather entered the clubhouse moments later, he asked, "Do any of you know where Hiccup is?"

Heather shook her head, hands on her hips. "No. I didn't even know he was still gone."

"Do you think something happened to him?" Fishlegs whimpered.

"Nah," Snotlout brushed off. "He probably just wants to have some 'alone time'. Or he's too scared to face Astrid." He started to snort, but a deathly glare from the angry blonde stopped him.

"He's fine," she growled. "He'll be back by tonight, anyway. He knows not to stay out too long."

Still, as the morning passed, Astrid got more and more agitated with Hiccup. Did he think it was alright to just abandon the Edge because of their quarrel? But as day turned into night, the anger was replaced by worry. Hiccup never stayed out alone this long. Well, at least without telling anyone where he was or when he'd be back.

"Let's get together a small search party," she said slowly later that evening. "I know it's dark out, but Hiccup still isn't back yet, so..." She didn't need to finish the sentence.

Snotlout and the twins took of in search for their missing leader, while Astrid paced the floor of the clubhouse and looked outside constantly for any sign of Hiccup or the other Riders. Fishlegs and Heather only sat beside her in worried silence.

Finally, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff flew in just as dusk began to come, and set down on the side of the Edge's landing strip.

Astrid, with Fishlegs and Heather at her side, rushed over to them, but her smile faded as she only saw the twins and Snotlout. She swallowed. "Where's Hiccup?"

Tuffnut rubbed Barf and Belch's neck uneasily. "Well, we flew out pretty far before we decided to turn back, because there was still no sign of him. We checked the woods and everywhere else we could think of, but he's not there. So we came back."

"We hoped he was here," Snotlout whispered.

"Well, he's not," Astrid breathed out. She wrung her hands together nervously. "What could've happened to him?"

"There  _was_  a pretty big storm last night," Fishlegs offered. "Do you… do you think he got caught in that?"

There was silence for a moment, but the answer was suddenly clear.

Astrid nodded at the other Riders, already racing towards the stables to fetch Stormfly. "Everyone, saddle up," she yelled. "We're leaving in ten minutes to go and look for Hiccup." Her voice softened. "Oh, Hiccup, why did I ever make you go away...?"

* * *

 As Hiccup peeled open his stinging eyes, he began to cough, spitting out water and then immediately clutching at his aching sides for relief.

His vision swam when he looked upwards, but he still didn't turn his head away in fear he would pass out again. He sucked in a surprised breath when at last he could see clear enough to make out a few elegant women standing in front of him, all looking down at him in both concern and wariness.

He frowned, dazedly.

"H-hello." He sat up more against the wall. "Who… who are you?"

The women exchanged hushed whispers, before one glanced over at him and said, "The better question is, who are  _you?"_

He blinked. "Hiccup. Hiccup Haddock."

Again, the murmurs resumed, until one of the women, seemingly the leader of the group, stepped up. Her facial features were pleasant enough, boring a small smile and glittering green eyes. But there was something about the way she spoke that Hiccup didn't trust, and he made sure to keep his distance from her. "I am Atali, Hiccup Haddock. My Wingmaidens rescued you from a terrible storm last night. You're alive and well now, on our island home."

Hiccup rubbed at his eyes. "Last night?"

"Yes. But you're safe here, young Viking."

Hiccup pressed a hand to his aching forehead. "Wait… what about...  _Toothless?_ " He immediately panicked, and looked around for the dragon. When there was no sign of him, his worst fears were confirmed- he had been rescued, but Toothless had not.

"Do not worry, you are safe from all dragons, here," Atali assured him, offering Hiccup a hand. He took it, and stood unsteadily. There was still the concern for Toothless's well being, but these Wingmaidens didn't seem like the kind of women who would drop everything to go out and look for him. He'd have to wait and ask them about it later.

Atali seemed to notice Hiccup's uneasiness, and while grabbing a cup from beside her, she said, "Here, drink from this golden goblet. It is the purest of all herbal teas, and will give you great strength."

Hiccup, still keeping her in his line of vision, pressed the cup he was offered to his lips, and tasted a bit of the liquid. It was warm and pleasant, but he only took a few sips before handing it back to her. "Thanks, but I'm not that thirsty."

Atali sighed, and the other Wingmaidens exchanged glances. Hiccup stiffened, wondering if drinking from the goblet had been such a good idea after all. He cleared his throat. "So… I guess I should thank for rescuing me. I would've drowned otherwise… but if you'll be kind enough to send me on my way, I'd be very grateful."

Atali shook her head. "You are still weak from the storm, Hiccup Haddock, and as evening approaches I believe you must be hungry."

He was hungry, but he wasn't about to admit it.

"No thanks. I have to get back."

"To where?"

"My island."

Atali raised her brow. "I'm afraid not at the moment, Hiccup Haddock. You will eat and then you will stay here for the night." Her tone suggested that she was not going to tolerate any disagreement.

There was no use in arguing any more with her. "Fine."

But then something caught his eye from the side of the room. His eyebrows lifted up in surprise. "That's my ax!"

"You were holding it when my Wingmaidens found you," Atali said, picking the weapon up and examining its furnished handle. "I am afraid I can't let you have it just yet. I prefer to be on the side of caution around strangers."

"I'm not going to use it against you," Hiccup said irritably. "I got it for someone, as a gift. Surely you can understand that."

"The answer is still no, Hiccup Haddock," she dismissed with a simple wave of her hand. "Now come for dinner."

Anger at seeing her with the ax he had bought specially for Astrid ruled over Hiccup's regular caution, and he set his jaw firmly. "No. It's mine. Give it back." When Atali didn't make a move to return it, he leaped forward and attempted to grab it.

Atali noticed Hiccup's sudden movement, and while holding the ax high over her head, she delivered a blow to his shoulder with the hilt of the weapon. The assault caused Hiccup to fall backward into the wall, and he gasped out in pain, clutching the wounded spot.

Atali examined him with cold eyes. "Do not do that again, young Viking. I will only warn you once. Now I will tell you again:  _come to dinner._ "

And Hiccup, surrounded by the rest of the tense Wingmaidens, had no choice but to oblige.

* * *

 Lightning flashed by in the sky as the Riders flew past dark storm clouds and into another cold sheet of rain.

"This is impossible! It's like looking for a bonehead in a thunderstorm," Tuffnut exclaimed.

Ruffnut looked over at him. "Is that supposed to be a metaphor?"

"Yeah. A little on the nose, maybe? Well, my brain is wet."

Astrid looked down at Stormfly, scratching at the dragon's ears. "Hey, Stormfly? Let's try again."

Stormfly happily released a jet of flame straight ahead, which lit up the dark night sky and sprayed past them. When nothing appeared in the new light, Fishlegs shook his head. "Still nothing! Astrid, we're never going to find anything out here. I can barely see Meatlug's head in front of me!"

"As much as I hate to admit it," Snotlout scowled, "Guppylegs is right. We should go back to the Edge and wait it out, then when it's more-"

"Guys, wait. Do you hear that?" Astrid interrupted, leaning forward intently.

The Riders all paused, when the faint sound of a dragon whining was heard below them. Astrid's eyes widened. "Everyone, under the clouds, now!"

As they dipped beneath the cloud bank and got closer to the wild sea, the dragon's whining got louder and Astrid soon saw why. "Guys, there's a dragon in the water!" she yelled over the roaring wind, and directed Stormfly to the creature's spot.

Fishlegs gasped. "Is that…"

"Toothless!" Astrid realized, hovering over the Night Fury. Even without being told to, Stormfly had already opened up her claws and quickly grabbed Toothless out of the water, although her frame was bowing under the dragon's weight.

"Is he all right?" Heather called down.

Astrid shook her head as she pulled Stormfly upwards to the others. "I don't know! It looks like he's been in the water for awhile." She grimaced. "But if Toothless is here, and Hiccup's not…"

Toothless roared, struggling in Stormfly's grip.

"Easy, easy," Astrid soothed him. "Okay, do you think you can fly?" Toothless growled, straightening out his wings and tail. Astrid's eyes lit up. "Guys, I think he knows where Hiccup is, and wants to take us there!"

Stormfly released the Night Fury, and Toothless managed to stay airborne until Astrid jumped down on his back, instantly taking control of the pedals. She shivered at just how cold Toothless was, and felt concerned. Just how long  _had_ he been in the water? And what about Hiccup? Was he still somewhere in the ocean too?

Before she knew it, Toothless was pulling her off to the right, and Astrid nodded at the rest of the Riders. "Follow me! Toothless is taking us somewhere, and I think that may be where we're going to find Hiccup!"

The Riders murmured in agreement, and allowed Astrid and Toothless to guide their way out of the stormy clouds, and then lead to a bright hole outside, where the sky glowed with vibrant colors of pink, purple, and blue.

"What's Hiccup gotten himself into this time?" said Snotlout jokingly. "Hope we don't have to save him  _again."_

But if he knew just how much danger his cousin really was in... Snotlout would have stayed far more silent.


	3. Chapter 3

The Wingmaidens never took their eye off of Hiccup as he ate, and it unnerved him. What were they waiting for, him to suddenly drop dead?

Just in case, he allowed the two Wingmaidens next to him at the table to take a bite of their meals first. When they didn't show any signs of poison, he hesitantly chewed a forkful of the roast in front of him before staring back up at Atali.

The Wingmaiden was examining him carefully, but loosened her gaze when she noticed him looking at her. She smiled. "How are you enjoying the meal, Hiccup Haddock?"

He shrugged. "It's fine."

"I'd think so. It's been made special for you."

A sick feeling sprouted inside of Hiccup.  _What did she mean by that…?_

At his alarmed expression, Atali laughed lightly. "It is not poisoned, young Viking. We do not have many visitors on our island, and wanted to make sure you were treated and fed graciously."

Hiccup only nodded, if a bit stiffly.

Atali raised her brow, and in a cool, smooth tone, she said, "Hiccup Haddock, although we are honored to have you as our guest, your attitude towards us is unacceptable."

He said nothing. How could he? The only answer he had for them was,  _Why should I care? I don't trust you, and I plan to leave as soon as possible._  But based on all of their expressions, he doubted they'd take too kindly to that.

"You must respect women," Atali continued. "Revere them. Honor them. Do you understand?"

Hiccup grunted. "Sure."

"Perfect. Get some rest. Tomorrow evening, you will be the guest of honor at our "Feast of Freya." We've been preparing the sacred stew for days now. Just a few final ingredients and it will be ready to ingest." She gestured to a giant pot on the other side of the room, where a few Wingmaidens stirred the contents slowly. "You, Hiccup Haddock, will be the centerpiece of our celebration."

Hiccup couldn't help but ask, "So, this sacred stew… what exactly makes it so 'sacred'?"

Atali smiled faintly. "Oh, I'm afraid we couldn't reveal that, Hiccup." She walked over to the pot, inspecting the Wingmaidens' progress. "If we did, well…"

"Oh, let me guess," Hiccup said sarcastically. "You'd have to kill me?"

Atali didn't flinch, and only mused, "That's one way to put it."

Alarm filled his mind. He had to force himself not to leap up from the table right then and run away. "What?" A Wingmaiden looked at him darkly, and he narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't…"

The women next to him carefully picked up her overly large fork and knife, then smirking, she cast a hungry look over at Hiccup.

With no other thoughts on the matter, he jumped upwards, and then stumbled over the table in his last desperate attempt to get away. He only hit the floor with a thud.

"I'm no one's stew," he protested as the Wingmaidens, holding knives, came closer. "I don't care how sacred or delicious it is. I'm not going to be your supper." He began to run towards the flap that led outside.

"Run if you must, Hiccup Haddock," Atali called from behind him. "But I'm afraid we cannot let you leave Wingmaiden Island."

Pushing himself out of the tent, Hiccup, stumbling and gasping, raced off into the wilderness.

* * *

He had run for what seemed hours to his weary body. He stopped, his back pressed against the trunk of an old oak tree as he sucked in large gulps of air. His chest hurt from all the heavy breathing that he had been doing. His lungs felt as if they were on fire.

He allowed his head to slump all the way back, his lips partially opened as he fought to bring his huffing and puffing under control. It was useless- he was winded and his body was in such pain that he felt as if he couldn't run another yard, let alone escape the deranged Wingmaidens that were intent on hunting him down.

Hiccup had no doubts that his life was in grave danger. Atali's eyes had sparkled with an uncanny glow when she hinted she was going to kill him.

Now, totally exhausted, hungry, thirsty and in pain, he wasn't so sure he could get away anymore. He calculated that he had managed to put at least five or six miles between himself and the women who hunted him. He glanced up at the lowering sun. It was nearly past sunset and he figured that he had at least ten minutes before the sky darkened completely.

His clothes were wet where he had run through the creeks. The water sloshed in his boot, making his foot damp, and Hiccup could already feel the blisters that were developing on the heels of his one foot. He swiped his hand across his face, wiping away the droplets of sweat that rolled from his brow.

A twig snapped and Hiccup spun around, his eyes searching for any movement that might alert him to danger. A squirrel dashed away from him and scurried for the nearest tree. He let out a long sigh, almost smiling.

"Better get a move on," he said aloud to himself.

Hiccup gave one last cautious glance over his shoulder before he took off once again. His legs ached, the muscles in his calves and upper portion of his legs had seemed to tighten up on him and it was all he could do to force one foot in front of the other. Determined to not think of the women that surely by now were in hot pursuit after him, he pushed on for another few minutes before being forced to stop once more.

He leaned over, resting his hands on his knees as he attempted to fill his lungs, when suddenly, a voice called, "Surely, Hiccup Haddock, you can do better than that!"

He swerved around, and saw Atali with the rest of the Wingmaidens standing beside her, all of their eyes flashing with hunger. He took a step back. "You can't kill me," he said slowly. "I won't let you."

Atali just laughed. "Get him."

The next thing Hiccup knew, the Wingmaidens were rushing forward. He tried to run away, but it was no use. They grabbed onto his arms and pulled him back in their direction. Only when he fought too much did one of them actually… leap off the ground... and then fly.

Hiccup gasped, struggling in the woman's grip to get down, but found his courage gradually ebbing away as they got higher in the air.

_How were they flying? That was impossible!_

"Take him to the dungeons," he heard Atali say from above him. "He won't be able to get out of there."

And Hiccup could only watch as he was carried, quite shockingly, to his unwelcome fate.

* * *

The Riders flew over a stray seasack, Toothless and Astrid leading the tired group ahead.

With a nod towards the others, Astrid pulled down towards the seasack, and soon they all had landed for a quick rest. Toothless let out a growl, looking around uneasily.

"Hey, it's okay," Astrid assured the worried dragon. "I know, you're concerned about Hiccup. We all are. But why don't we just take a little break and give the rest of us a chance to-" Without warning, Toothless propelled himself off the ground while Astrid clung on for dear life. "Ah, all right! Who needs to catch their breath anyway?"

She called back to the other Riders, "You guys relax, I'll go!"

"No way!" Fishlegs yelled back, already boarding his dragon. "We're going with you. Meatlug just got her second wind."

And so Fishlegs quickly caught up to Astrid as the others a bit more slowly followed along. All seemed to be going smoothly, when suddenly…

Three masked, winged figures- distinctively human- peeked their heads above the clouds, before they dived back down again.

"What-?" Astrid gasped, leaning forward. "Are- are those…"

"Flying women?" Fishlegs supplemented in shock.

"Am I crazy or is that impossible?"

"We need to tell the others," Fishlegs managed out. "Astrid… what if… what if-"

"What if those women took Hiccup?"

"Y.. yeah."

Astrid set her jaw grimly. "I know we only just saw them Fishlegs, but… I have the strangest feeling that you might be right." She nodded. "Let's go. Whatever these things are, we're going to need back up."

* * *

Being kept in a cell was anything but comfortable.

Hiccup's arms were locked in a chain that was attached to the ceiling, barely giving him enough slack to rest his feet on the floor. He ached all over, and his mind was still buzzing from the realization that the Wingmaidens could  _fly._

Since the women had gone, Hiccup had been hanging there, shivering in the cold draft, his body rebelling against even that slight movement. His arms ached from being stretched so long. He wished for release, but none came.

He looked around the place he was chained, but it was dark and he couldn't see anything there. He looked for a way for light to come in. He couldn't find one.

"Hello!" he shouted. "Come on! Let me out!"

No response.

"Hey! Can anybody hear me?" he yelled.

Again, nothing.

His eyes widened, and he bit down on his lip. No one knew where he was, except for the Wingmaidens. Oh, why hadn't he told Astrid where he was going? Why hadn't he told Johann to tell his friends where he was if something happened to him? Why had he ever tried going through that storm?

What if he never saw the gang again because of his foolishness? What about Berk? His father? Who would be the heir now, who would be the Riders' leader?

The thought of all his friends and family counting on him didn't effect his current position, but it did give him a reason to renew his efforts to escape and he fought his bonds, twisting and turning against them, heedless of the cost in pain from his back and legs. He panted desperately, almost choking on his own saliva, for he could hardly swallow. He broke into a sweat, which the cool air chilled on his body.

No, he didn't notice any of these things.

He was intent on getting free and going back home.


	4. Chapter 4

It was only after hours of fighting against the chains, until his wrists were raw and bleeding and his arms felt ready to tear off did Hiccup at last feel like a fool. Of course he couldn't break iron chains. Who did he think he was?

He panted heavily, and desperately wished just for a small sip of water. Even that could satiate the burning in his throat and the dryness of his tongue. Otherwise, although, he just wanted to fall asleep.

But there was still one problem- he couldn't sleep standing up.

It really was like torture, Hiccup mused, to hang suspended like that. Unable to sit down or even let his knees fall too far to the floor, because if he did his arms would be pulled along with him and the pain would be even worse. He sighed, shifting on his feet. What did Atali and the Wingmaidens even want with him?

Almost as if in answer to his thoughts, the door to his prison suddenly opened, and in walked Atali, with two stiff Wingmaidens at her side.

Hiccup gritted his teeth and looked away. He wouldn't talk to them unless he had to.

"Good morning, Hiccup Haddock," Atali smiled. "Yes, did you realize you had been down here all night?"

Silence.

She pursed her lips. "Hiccup, I advise you to behave. If you do not, I'm afraid things will be much more difficult." She paused. "Now tell us why you are here. To spy on us? To steal from us?" She shook her head. "Please, do your best and give us an answer."

Hiccup kept his eyes trained on the ground.

Atali looked irritated. "Tell us why you are here, Hiccup Haddock. I will not ask again."

In response, Hiccup spat at her feet.

Atali's face whitened in anger, and she clenched her fists. "Fine. If that is the way you wish to be, then you will be kept down here until the feast tonight. Think about your friends and family. You'll be long dead before you see them again."

She left.

* * *

"Hey, Fishlegs, take a look at this."

Astrid handed her spy glass over to Fishlegs beside her, although still looking at the island before them.

Fishlegs peeked through the spy glasses hole, and gasped in awe. "Amazing. Just amazing. The density of the vegetation is unparalleled for an island of the-"

Astrid pushed the spyglass to the right.

"Oh," Fishlegs said. "You were talking about the giant village of women with wings." He looked around more, and then sucked in a breath. "Hold on. I think I found Hiccup. It looks like they're guarding a cave… maybe he's in there."

Astrid was alarmed for a moment, before relief crashed down on her shoulders. At least they had a starting point of where Hiccup could be. "Okay," she said slowly as she stood up. She turned around, facing the other Riders. "I'm going to sneak in there with Stormfly, and get into that cave. If Hiccup's there, I'll get him out. If he's not… well… I'll have to get out of there alone."

Heather's face hardened. "Astrid, you can't."

"Yes, I can. Hiccup may be in there, and I'm going to get him back!" She put a hand on her hip, head slightly bowed. "Look, guys… I said some pretty ugly things to Hiccup before he disappeared. I just… it feels like my fault that he's gone now. I have to do this. To make it up to him. Don't you see?"

"All right, go," Fishlegs sighed, fumbling with his hands. "We'll meet you at the north side of the island, whether you find Hiccup or not."

Astrid broke out in a grin. "Thanks." She backed away to Stormfly, and swung onto her dragon's back. "I'll find Hiccup, don't worry. Whether he likes it or not…" She set her jaw, determination flashing in her eyes. "Our Dragon Boy's coming back today."

* * *

Taking out the guards wasn't much of a problem, especially with her handiness with her ax.

Each of the women fell silently to the ground, unconscious as soon as she she hit them over the heads. She quickly scurried inside of the cave once she had moved the bodies into the brush, and instantly noticed how dark and cold it was. if Hiccup was here, she realized, he was in deep trouble.

"Hiccup?" she called out in the blackness. "Can you hear me?"

A groan.

More alarmed now, Astrid quickened her pace until she was at a steady sprint, when she came to an abrupt halt as soon as she reached the sight that greeted her.

"Hiccup?" she gasped, racing toward to the boy suspended in mid-air.

His arms were the only thing keeping him upright, and now they were taking the worst of the strain. Hiccup appeared to be asleep, unconscious- or worse. He was slumped over, head bowed forward, with sweat dripping off his cheeks and hair tangled with mud and leaves.

He didn't move as she ran forward, and she urgently shook his shoulder. "Hiccup, wake up!"

Hiccup let out a soft moan. His arms trembled, and Astrid put her arm around him to help him stand.

"Come on, Dragon Boy, your arms must be pretty sore by now…"

"Ast… Astrid?" Hiccup's eyes fluttered open, and he looked at the blonde in a confused daze. "But…"

"Shh. Don't try to speak." Astrid stood on her tiptoes as she fumbled to release the chains holding him upright. "Oh gods, Hiccup, I was so worried. You've been missing for almost two days. We set off to look for you, but until now, we couldn't…"

"Toothless?"

"He's all right. We found him yesterday evening."

Hiccup let out a breath of relief.

"So, who are these women keeping you here anyways?" She finally got to the linking chain, and slipped it apart. The chain was released, and Hiccup instantly crumbled to the floor. Astrid ducked next to him, worried. "Hiccup? What hurts?"

Hiccup lifted his head off the ground. "Nothing… much. Just tired." He blinked slowly. "These women… they're called Wingmaidens. They… Astrid… they can fly."

Astrid brushed a lock of his brown hair away from his forehead. "I know. We saw."

"You did?" He sounded surprised.

"We spotted them up in the air. Now come on, let's get you up." She helped him from the floor to a standing position, and smiled over at him. But her smile faded as she saw his downcast expression. "Hiccup?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered, words barely audible. "I didn't mean to forget the picnic, honest. And I shouldn't have gone off like that on my own. It was childish, and I'm sorry."

Astrid pressed a finger to his lips. "Hiccup, hush. I don't want to hear another word of it. We both said some things that we shouldn't have, but we're past that now. You're still my Dragon Boy, and I hope I'm still your milady."

Hiccup offered a tired smile. "Always."

"Good." Her voice lowered. "And… I can't remember a minute since that sunset flight on Toothless when I haven't been in love with you." After an uncomfortable silence, she cleared her throat. "Do you think you can walk by yourself?"

"Why?"

"The others are going meet up with you at the base of the mountains on the north end of the island. I'm going to distract these… Wingmaidens so you can get away, all right?" Hiccup opened his mouth to protest, but Astrid spoke again before he could. "I'm not losing you again, okay? You're too weak to fight on your own."

Hiccup silenced. They both knew it was true.

"All right, you be safe," he said as he began to limp away from the cave. "I'll meet you at the base."

"You be safe too, Hiccup," Astrid smiled.

But he was already gone.

* * *

"I'm not lost," Hiccup muttered to himself for the millionth time. "I just… don't know how to get around this island efficiently yet."

_Sure_ , his thoughts snapped back.  _Yeah… no. Face it. You're lost._

So he was.

He let out a tired sigh, and massaged his aching arms. He guessed he had passed out after pulling against the chains so much, and that hadn't given him any favors. Now his whole body ached, hunger clawed at his stomach, and all he wanted to do right now was curl up in a ball and go to sleep.

But, no. The other Riders were waiting for him. If he didn't show up, they'd worry. He didn't want to cause them any more trouble than they had gone through to get here.

Finally, after an hour of stumbling around and redirecting himself to the north, exhaustion hit him full force. Legs (er, leg) trembling, he sunk down next to a boulder and put his head against it, closing his eyes against the afternoon sun.

For a while, that was all he was able to do. He leaned against the rock and drifted in a sort of stupor. However, he roused as a particularly cold gust of wind hit him.

Well, he was awake now. It was best to keep moving.

He got to his feet and started through the woods, heading where he believed was north. After another short rest, he set out again, aiming for reaching the Riders now. But he was too lost, and found that his sense of direction had got turned around. Hiccup wandered for quite some time before realizing that there was no way he was going to get out of these woods or find the other Riders before nightfall.

But his subconscious must have been helping him out, for he was heading towards the sea. Hiccup knew it would be a long walk, but he wasn't going to turn around now.

Only when it got more into the evening did he hear the crunching sounds behind him. It sounded like something was following him… tracking him…

_Hunting_  him.

A chill ran up his spine as he looked over his shoulder.

What was out there?

Just a moment later, a roar rang out from the forest, shaking the trees and the very ground beneath him. Hiccup held his breath as he slowly turned around, bracing himself for whatever he was going to see next…

And found himself staring straight into the cold eyes of a blood-thirsty Razorwhip.


End file.
